Dutch last wish charity grants 24,000th wish at Nijmegen Vierdaagse marches

The Stichting Ambulance Wens, an organization dedicated to fulfilling the final wishes of terminally ill and immobile people, will grant its 24,000th wish on Friday during the Nijmegen Vierdaagse. The wish consists of someone welcoming their family member at the finish line of the four-day walking event, said director Kees Veldboer Jr.

Quite coincidentally, the 20,000th wish also came true at the finish line of the Nijmegen Four Days Marches, as the event is known in English, exactly two years ago. “No planning, no intention, but special nonetheless, said the organization.

The foundation was established in 2007 by Kees Veldboer Sr., who served as its director until his death in 2021. Veldboer, an ambulance driver, aimed to fulfill the final wishes of people with a terminal illness by transporting them by ambulance to various locations in the Netherlands and abroad.

The foundation currently fulfills between seven and nine wishes daily, with nearly 300 volunteers and soon 10 ambulances on the road. Next Friday, the foundation will receive three new ambulances, made possible by the annual Roparun relay race. Two will be replacements, and one will expand its fleet.

In June, the Roparun organizers pledged to donate a total of 22 ambulances to the Stichting Ambulance Wens.

The foundation expects to fulfill its 25,000th wish in January.